Steam sizing machine



.3 Sheets-Sheet l W.KAPLAN STEAM SIZING MACHINE ooooooolobovooooo ooooooololpoooooopoooo ioooodo lo oooooodob'oooooo oooooocIo oooocobqoooo OOOO o o a \ddlold d O O O O O oo oo.

Dec. 28, 1948. y

Filed NOV. 20, 1946 WILLIAM KAPLAN /m/f/z/fae @YM b/ ATTORNEY pooo'ooo oooooo oboooooo GOOOQIPOOOOO OQIOOOOOIO oooo ooooo oooo'o Aoooo Dec. 28, 1948. W KAPLAN l 2,457,476

STEAM sIzING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2o, 1946 3 sheets-sheet? WILLIAM KAPLA lNvl-:NToR

ATTORNEY Dec. 2s, 194s. w. KAPLAN 2,457,476

' STEAM SIZING MACHINE Filed Nov. 20, 1946 3 sheets-sheet s FIG.4

WILLlAM KAPLAN INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 28, 1948 STEAM -SIZING MACHINE William Kaplan, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Wilbe Research Corporation, Brooklyn,

Application November 20,1946, serial No. 711,041

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a steam sizing machine for knitted tubular cloth having a ribbed end portion which provides greater flexibility at the said portion and an object of this invention is to provide a steam sizing machine which permits steaming only the unribbed portion of the tubular cloth so as not to destroy the ilexibility of the ribbed portion.

An obj ect of this invention is to provide a steam sizing machine having an adjustable vspreading frame for eiiecting the shaping of knitted fabric garments and by which various kinds of knitted articles of Wearing apparel may be accurately shaped or fashioned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine supported solid skeleton spreading frame and means for raising and lowering the frame by a foot operated pedal, while both handsV of the operator are free for mounting and vadjusting tubular cloths on the yspreading frame to be successively brought into overlying contacting relation with the steam table .and steam treated from the exterior of the cloth and stretched to size.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable machine supported frame for shaping a finished garment, whereby any desired shape may be imparted to a iinished garment, the machine serving to support the frame While the hands of the operator are free for manipulating the garment.

Another object of this invention is to provide guide means adjustable on the spreading frame for limiting the portion of the cloth in contact with the steam table, whereby a ribbed portion oi the garment may be kept out of cont-act with the steam -so to retain the flexibility of the ribbed portion while steam treating the rest of the garment.

With the above and other objects in view, the

invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the machine.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the steam sizing machine shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, with the steam sizing 2 an ladjustable spreading :frame shaped to conform to a nished garment such as a sweater.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a connecting collar.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0 indicates a steam sizing machine for knitted tubular cloth and the like. `The machine I-U comprises a base II, upright-s I 2, I2 and a Isteam table I3.

The machine IB comprises two vertical shafts I4 supported in brackets I5, I6, rearwards of the table I3. The brackets are secured to the base II and to the table I 3 by bolts Il. The shafts are held in vliked position in the brackets by bolts I8. A guide bar i9 having apertures 26 at both ends is slidably mounted on extensions 2I of the shafts I4 -above the table I3.

A treadle `25 is pivotally mounted on a pin 26. The rear end of the treadle l215 is pivotally connected by a pin 2l to an upright rod 23, shown in Figure 3. The upper end of the rod 28 is pivota'lly connected by a pin 29 to a collar 30 secured to the mid portion of the guide bar I9 by 4a bolt 3I.

When the `treadle 25 is depressed, the rod 28 *is raised, and through the pivotal connections the guide bar I9 is rai-sed in a yvertical plane. Release of the treadle causes the guide bar to drop vertically ydue to its weight.

As best shown in Figure '1, the guide bar I9 has a plurality of threaded apertures '32 extending vertically therethrough. The apertures are-equally spaced from the mid portion of the guide bar.

slidably mounted on the guide bar I9 are tWo brackets 33, veach having a bolt 34 passing therethrough and threaded in an aperture 32.

The brackets 33 have apertures 35 positioned crosswise of the guide bar I9 and above the said bar. -Slidably mounted in the apertures 35 are two arm-s 36 which may be Jfastened `to the brackets 33 by bolts 31. 36 have loops 38.

The arms 36 jointly form a spreading frame on which tubular cloths such as knitted articles may be mounted and spread to size by moving The forward ends of the arms i the arms to or away from each other.

It Will thus be noted that the two arms 36 function jointly as a solid skeleton cloth spreading frame 39 upon which tubular cloth -may be mounted to be stretched and steamed to size.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, itwill be seen that collars 40 are slidably mounted on the arms 36 and may be secured thereto by screws 4I. By adjusting the positions of the collars lengthwise of the arms 36 it is possible to limit the portion oi the cloth being steam sible to mount a knitted stretching frame and to leave l retain its elasticity,

treated. It is thus postubular cloth 42 on the the ribbed portion 43 of the cloth in overhanging relation with the steam table I3, so that the ribbed portion is not subjected to any steaming operation.

This arrangement is important because if no provision were made for guiding or limiting the unribbed portion of the cloth on the steam table r and if the ribbed section would be on the steam table during the stretching and steaming operation, the ribbed material would not be able to sirable for knitted tubular cloths having ribbed sections incorporated therein.

The steam table I3 is hollow. The table has a feature which is very desmall apertures 45 throughout its upper surface.

Steam is supplied to a steam chamber 46 in the table by a pipe 41 from any suitable supply.

A valve 48 in the pipe line 41 has a lever 49. A

tension spring 59 suitably attached to the lever 49 maintains the valve 48 in closed position. A

rod I is connected to the free end of the lever 49 at its upper end and to the free end of a.l treadle 52 at its lower end.

By depressing the treadle 52, the operator sup-v plies steam to the table I3 and to cloth placed thereon in pre-arranged spaced relationship.

Figure 4 shows the steam sizing machine l0 with an adjustable solid skeleton spreading frame 55 shaped to conform to a finished garment such as a sweater.

The garment spreading frame 55 comprises two identically formed frame sections 56, 56, preff erably made of wire or solid rod. Each section 56 has a straight portion 51. The frame sections are slidably mounted in the crosswise apertures 35 in the brackets 33 and fastened to the brackets 33 by the bolts 31. n ,A

The straight portions 51 extend to outwardly curved mid-sections 58, 58. At the termination of the midsections, the frame sections 58, 58 are again bent outwardly at 59 and then inwardly to cross each other with their ends 60, 60 ter-` minating on opposite sides of a connecting collar 6l having two apertures 62, B2.

As shown in the drawings it is seen that by downpressing the pedal 25, the skeleton frame 39 or the skeleton frame 55 may be raised in considerably spaced-apart relation from and above the steam heated table or source of heat, to a point where the air is all around the tubular fabric. It is obvious that the removal` of the fabric from the source of heat while retained in stretched condition on the skeleton frame will induce a quick cooling action on the stretched cloth.

that various changes and modiiications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a steam sizing machine for steaming knitted tubular cloth from the exterior of the cloth, comprising a steam heated table having akhorizontally positioned and perforated upper face, a. guide bar supported parallel with said upper face and being mounted for up and down movements rearwardly of said steam table, a solid skeleton cloth spreading frame supported by said guide bar in a horizontal position, said guide bar in lowermost position being adapted to bring said spreading frame in contact with the perforated upper face of said steam table, and pedal means in front of said steam table for raising and lowering said spreading frame, while both hands of the operator are free for mounting and adjusting tubular cloth on said spreading frame to be lowered into overlying contacting relation with said table or raised into a position away from said steam table.

2. In a steam sizing machine for steaming knitted tubular cloth from the exterior of the cloth, comprising a steam heated tableY having a horizontally positioned and perforated upper face, a guide bar supported parallel with said upper face and being mounted for up and down movements rearwardly of said steam table, a solid skeleton cloth spreading frame comprising two spreading arms slidably supported by said guide bar in a horizontal position and being relatively adjustable thereon to and from each other and lengthwise of said steam table, said guide bar in lowerinost position being adapted to bring said spreading frame in contact with the perforated upper face of said steam table, and foot-actuated pedal means in front of said steam table for raising and lowering said spreading frame, while both hands of the operator are free for mounting and adjusting tubular cloth on said spreading frame to be successively brought into overlying contacting relation with said table and said cloth steam treated and stretched to size.

' WILLIAM KAPLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

